Stair-pad or the like



(N0Mode1.)`

A. J. LE CLAIR.

STAIR PAD 0R THE LIKE. No. 56759.85. Y YIfaell-'ed Sep1;. 2 2,y 1896.

WZ Zh UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE. f

ALFRED J. LE cLAIR, or NEW YoRK, N. Y., AssIeNoR To THE MINERAL- `IZED RUBBER COMPANY, OF NEV YORK.

STAIR-PAD OR THEA LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.- 567,985, dated September 22, 1896.

Application filed .Tune 16, 1896. Serial No. 595,823. (No model.) I

To tell whom t may concern,-`

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. LE CLAIR, of New. York,` in the county and State `of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stair-Pads or the Like; and I dohereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,whicl1 will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use.the same, reference being` had to the ac companying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specication. I

This invention has for its object the manufacture of rubber carpet, tread,matting, step or stair pads, 'and similar articles in rubber or its compounds, which may be corrugated, embossed, or otherwise prepared with surfac'e patterns and which will be destined for use under foot or other similar purposes in such a manner as to greatly prolong the life, wear, and usefulness thereof. Heretofore rubber carpet, tread, pads, and` other articles destined to be laid down as floor or other underfoot coversA have been manufactured in lengths as convenient or made `in special sizes and have had the corrugations or patterns stamped or embossed on one side only, and from necessity these corrugations or patferns have only penetrated a portion of the whole thickness of the tread, mat, carpet, or

other similar article. Consequently when these corrugations or other surface patterns;

Whether designed for purpose of ornamentation or intended to prevent slipping, were worn off `the tread, carpet, matting, pad, or other similar article has become useless. To prevent this waste which has heretofore existed, I propose to place the corrugations or embossing on both sides of the carpet, mat, tread, pads, or other similar articles required to be manufactured.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved pad. Figs. 2 and 3 are top plan views showing different patterns of mypad. Fig. 4. is

a cross-sectional view of the pattern shown in Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference mark the `saule parts through the different views:`

a indicates a stair-pad, inat, or carpet pro-l vided with longitudinal grooves b c, as shown in Fig. 1, or with raised surfaces pr configi urations, as illustrated in Fig. 2. These`surfaces are formed onboth sides ofthe pad,.as hereinafter described, and where so former as to contain longitudinalgrooves a large number of such pads can be closely packed together for shipment, as the raised surfaces of one pad can be placed or `inserted inthe grooves of the next adjoining padin transportation, so that the amount of space required in packing is considerably reduced and a smaller space is consequently required for the reception of such pads than has 'heretofore lbeen the case. Heretofore the impression, Whether corrugation or embossing, has been obtained by means of amold or plate of metal or` other suitable material, which had the pattern desired to be impressed on the rubber, cut, engraved, or otherwise placed thereon; and this mold or plate has generally been used in lthe press, vulcanizer, or o'ther machine in which the rubber tread, carpet, pad, or similar article was vulcanized or cured by means of heat applied after the raw rubber had been properly mixed with the other necessary or desirable compounds to obtain the requisite consistency, durability, and other desirable qualities, (having al due regard to cost,`) together with suthcient `sulvfur or othervulcanizing material lto insure the proper vuleauization of the rubber when subjected to'heat for that purpose. "lhe bottom part of the mold, plate, or other device used to obtain the pattern has heretoe In some cases the mold or fore been plain. plate had no bottom, but was simply a metal plate placed on the surface of the rubber about to be cured or vulcanized, the poste- -rior surface of such rubber resting on the bottom plate of the press ormold, or in other position, as most'convenient. Now I prepare a plate or mold for .the bottom of the tread, carpet; pad, or other similar rubber article about to be produced, with an impression engraved or otherwise effected .on said bottom plate or mold, which, when the rubber tread, pad, carpet, or other similar article-required to be produced is placed in contact with in the course of vulcanization or curing said rub? ber article has vproduced thereon an impressionv or fluting, corrugation, or otherwise, as desired, in the same manner as it is obtained roo at present by the top plate, mold, or other method, thus producing a rubber tread, carpet, pad, or other similar article, corrugated, iiuted, or embossed, as may beidesired, on both top and bottom; and while this pattern or impression so produced may commonly be the same or asimilar pattern on both top and bottomof the rubber carpet, pad, tread, or other similar article produced, yetI do not confine my claims wholly thereto but claim t produce any desired impression on the top surface or on the bottom surface, which patterns or corrugations may, if desired, be dissimilar to each other, this by the means herein described. The vutility of this is obvious.

Tread, carpet, stairpads, or other similar ar- \ticles,designed' for wear underfoot or other similar or useful purposes, are often discarded;

as useless merely because the corrugations or pattern are worn off the surface. By my4 process I am enabled after the first surface is worn or impaired, or indeed at any time, to turn over and reverse the carpet, tread, pad, or other similar article and present a new surface, and to all intents a new carpet, tread,

pad, or other similar article, as in most cases the body or strength of the material is unaffected by the mere wearing off of the surface pattern no special method of manufacture, except as herein described, to produce the pattern or embossing on both surfaces.v

I have not described any particular means for preventing the Wear of the underneath portionsjof the pad caused bythe pressure on the upper portion thereof, but ifl desired any suitable iiexiblematerial vmight be interposed between I[he floor and the side of the l mat or carpet bearing against the floor, so

that the raised portions thereof will be protected against Wear.

In'locations where the carpet or matting is 'subjected tov great wear, such as public halls, railroad-stations, front doors, or the like, the probability would be that the corrugations or fluting would flatten, and to avoid this possibility I fill the under side of the iiuted matting4 with suitable plastic or other material In obtaining this result I claim d, which will readily separate itself when the matting is .reversed or turned upside down. Thus it will be seen that the opposite side is preserved lin its original contour and freshness and without the least defect from wear, the same as if it were new. I regard this filling of grooves, cells, or the like, of much importance in the light of economy, and inasmuch as it never has been done before I claim broadly, any means by which the filling may be accomplished.

The article to be'produced can be made of any of the various compounds or mixtures now used for similar articles which are corrugated on one side. It may contain one or more strengthening plies or layers of suit- .able cotton or other fabric e, or it may be produced without such plies,as may be most desirable t'o the operator, and the various compounds, mixtures, or methods now in use may be v followed without further change vthan above described or is necessary to produce the corrugation, iuting, embossing, or other pattern on the posterior as well as on the surface of the ypad or other similar article.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. A stair-pad composed of rubber or other iiexible material provided on both sides with roughenedor corrugated surfaces, and plastic material between the flutes or proj ections on the under side of the pad for the preservation of the roughened surface, as set forth.

2. vA stair pad or carpet consisting of rubber or other flexible material having longitudinal grooves on both` sides and plastic material interposed between said grooves on the under side of the pad, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J. LE CLAIR.

Witnesses:

JAMEs L. HEWLETT, GEO. B. HEWLETT. 

